Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s 2023-24 Departmental Results Report
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On this page
- From the Minister
- From the President
- Results—what we achieved
- Spending and human resources
- Corporate information
- Supplementary information tables
- Federal tax expenditures
- Definitions
Read a summary of the Departmental results report
Copyright information
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, 2024.
ISSN 2561-1895
From the Minister
It is our pleasure to present the 2023-24 Departmental Results Report for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Throughout the past year, the Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Portfolio worked closely with other government departments and agencies to build a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive economy that benefits all Canadians.
SSHRC continues to play a pivotal role in developing talent, generating insights, building connections and advancing knowledge that benefits all Canadians. Through its diversity of innovative programming, SSHRC fosters world-leading, interdisciplinary and collaborative research that strengthens not only the overall research environment, but the knowledge and talent Canadians need to lead at home and globally.
In 2023-24, SSHRC collaborated with other federal government organizations to deliver Stage 2 of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund competition. This initiative is a key component of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, driving innovation and growth in the biomanufacturing industry, and ensuring the country is well prepared for future pandemics.
SSHRC is committed to supporting dissemination of research results and accelerating knowledge mobilization to increase the societal and economic impacts of funded research. This year, the federal research funding agencies initiated a review of their Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications to ensure agency-supported research is freely available to researchers and the public when it is published. While open science is essential to drive innovation, SSHRC, along with the other agencies, has also prioritized research security by working with federal partners and postsecondary institutions to promote best practices and tools to safeguard research.
Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) remain at the forefront of SSHRC’s agenda. SSHRC, alongside its fellow federal research funding agencies, continued to implement the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan. In particular, SSHRC promoted fair access to research funding in a variety of ways, including by providing designated support for both Black and Indigenous research trainees. Moreover, SSHRC took significant steps to better support Indigenous research in Canada, funding large-scale projects to improve understanding of reconciliation, and collaborating with its tri-agency partners on a framework to support the self-identification of First Nations, Inuit and Métis persons within agency programs.
We invite you to read this report to learn more about how the ISED Portfolio is working together with Canadians of all backgrounds and in all regions—urban and rural—to position Canada as a leader in the global economy.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
From the President
I am delighted to present the 2023-24 Departmental Results Report for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). This past year has been one of remarkable progress and achievement, reflecting our unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge through the social sciences and humanities. By delivering programs that help Canada’s researchers develop talent, generate insights and build partnerships, SSHRC has continued to support scholarship and training that addresses the complex and ever-evolving challenges facing society today.
Once again, this year, SSHRC delivered the full range of its programming on time and within budget, including innovative multidisciplinary competitions such as the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. In addition, throughout 2023-24, SSHRC worked with Canadian partners to support Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. Collaborating with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), SSHRC delivered the first competition of the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative; and, with AAFC, launched the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Network on Sustainable Agriculture in a Net-Zero Economy.
SSHRC’s commitment to promoting Indigenous research and truth and reconciliation remains steadfast. The agency continued to support the tri-agency Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research and worked with Indigenous advisory bodies to advance a framework supporting self-identification for First Nations, Inuit and Métis persons within agency programs. In collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, SSHRC finalized the results of the Reconciliation Network in Response to Call to Action 65 funding opportunity to advance collective understanding of reconciliation. More broadly, SSHRC promotes and advances equity, diversity and inclusion across the research environment and career pathways—including through targeted funding for research training for equity-seeking groups, and by implementing SSHRC’s Accessibility Plan to identify, remove and prevent barriers in SSHRC programs and policies, especially for persons with disabilities.
Our agency also moved forward boldly to advance partnerships with international funding organizations, a key ingredient to SSHRC’s ongoing efforts to foster high-impact research and expertise. These partnerships provide Canadian established and emerging researchers with opportunities to collaborate with experts from around the world to respond to pressing global challenges. In addition to participating in the latest international calls of the Trans-Atlantic Platform and Open Research Area 8 funding opportunities, SSHRC this year worked with international funding partners on four continents to address the climate crisis. SSHRC also collaborated with funding partners in both Canada and the United Kingdom to deliver a Knowledge Synthesis Grants competition on Evolving Narratives of Cultures and Histories.
In addition, participating in the Global Centers initiative led by the United States’ National Science Foundation, SSHRC announced its support for a new global centre dedicated to advancing knowledge on climate change and clean energy. The tri-agency New Frontiers in Research Fund, managed by SSHRC on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies (SSHRC, NSERC and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research), launched a new international joint initiative on sustainable development of the Arctic. SSHRC and fellow research funders from an array of countries also finalized the results of their 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.
In all this, whether by featuring research stories on its webpage or delivering opportunities like its Impact Awards or Storytellers Challenge, SSHRC works hard to ensure research in the social sciences and humanities reaches Canadians so it can have the greatest possible societal impact. SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative leads the way in knowledge mobilization with its related Knowledge Synthesis Grants addressing critical future global challenges. The resulting synthesis reports, national knowledge mobilization forums and evidence briefs ensure the knowledge generated can inform decision making and policy to improve the lives of Canadians.
My immense gratitude goes to SSHRC’s researchers, partners and staff for their unwavering dedication and contributions. Together, SSHRC and its stakeholders are driving innovation, fostering collaboration and creating a better future for all. As the research community looks ahead, SSHRC remains committed to advancing research and training excellence, addressing societal challenges, and ensuring that the benefits of social sciences and humanities work extend across and beyond academia to positively impact society.
Ted Hewitt, PhD
Results—what we achieved
Core responsibilities and internal services:
- Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training
- Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
- Internal services
Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training
In this section
- Description
- Progress on results
- Resources required to achieve results
- Related government priorities
- Program inventory
Description
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, through grants, fellowships and scholarships, promotes and supports research and research training in the social sciences and humanities to develop talent, generate insights and build connections in pursuit of social, cultural and economic outcomes for Canadians.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 1: Targets and results for Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research Training
Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research Training.
Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
1.1 Canada’s rank among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations on the citation score of social sciences and humanities research publications |
In the top 10 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 20 2022-23: 23 2023-24: 27 |
1.2 Percentage of funded projects involving international collaborations |
At least 65% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 55% 2022-23: 57% 2023-24: 57% |
1.3 Number of research projects funded jointly by SSHRC and international partner(s) |
At least 9 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 11 2022-23: 6 2023-24: 7 |
Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
2.1 Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as women |
At least 51% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 58.5% 2022-23: 58.6% 2023-24: 57.9% |
2.2 Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as visible minorities |
At least 22% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 20.6% 2022-23: 21.8% 2023-24: 22.2% |
2.3 Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as Indigenous Peoples |
At least 5% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 3.5% 2022-23: 3.0% 2023-24: 2.8% |
2.4 Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as persons with disabilities |
At least 7% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 5.6% 2022-23: 9.0% 2023-24: 10.5% |
2.5 Number of research trainees supported through grants |
At least 7,700 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 4,390 2022-23: 5,240 2023-24: 7,774 |
2.6 Number of research trainees supported by SSHRC through scholarships and fellowships |
At least 4,500 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 4,945 2022-23: 4,882 2023-24: 4,880 |
2.7 Percentage of funded research trainees who go on to work in a research position |
At least 55% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 59% 2022-23: 62% 2023-24: 62% |
Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
3.1 Funding from non-academic partners for research projects |
At least $35,000,000 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: $35,155,008 2022-23: $37,724,322 2023-24: $38,384,217 |
3.2 Number of non-academic partners in research projects |
At least 850 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 929 2022-23: 771 2023-24: 683 |
3.3 Percentage of grants reporting non-academic collaborator(s) in the research process |
At least 70% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 76% 2022-23: 75% 2023-24: 73% |
3.4 Percentage of funded projects reporting socioeconomic outcomes for Canadians |
At least 75% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 76% 2022-23: 79% 2023-24: 79% |
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
SSHRC, through grants, fellowships and scholarships, promotes and supports research and research training in the social sciences and humanities to develop talent, generate insights and build connections to advance social, cultural and economic knowledge for the benefit of all Canadians. Expert merit review by a committee of peers is at the heart of the granting process, designed to ensure the highest standards of excellence. Through its regular grants and scholarships funding programs, in 2023-24, SSHRC provided over 5,000 awards while also engaging more than 3,600 researchers in the merit review process. SHRC also continued to support training, investigator-led research and research partnerships in the social sciences and humanities, while collaborating across the research ecosystem to deliver initiatives that benefit and contribute to ensuring a better future for Canadians.
SSHRC administers several research funding programs on behalf of Canada’s three federal research funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and SSHRC. These tri-agency programs enhance Canada’s research capacity by supporting top-tier researchers to advance ambitious research agendas, by enabling interdisciplinary and collaborative research that addresses global challenges, and by helping to maintain a strong research environment in Canada’s institutions.
The following section describes the results for Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research Training in 2023-24 compared with the planned results set out in SSHRC’s departmental plan for the year.
Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive
SSHRC supports world-class research by awarding highly competitive funding to scholars and students through rigorous, independent merit review aligned with international best practices. SSHRC also promotes international collaborations, enabling Canadian researchers to learn from their peers around the world while enhancing Canada’s reputation as a global centre for research excellence. In addition to its joint initiatives, SSHRC’s regular funding programs provide opportunities for researchers to work and collaborate with international scholars. In 2023-24, 57% of SSHRC-funded projects involved collaborations with international researchers: overall, about 9% of co-applicants and 30% of collaborators on grants are researchers in other countries.
Through its joint initiatives, SSHRC works closely with international funding partners to support collaborative research between Canadian researchers and their peers around the world. SSHRC’s international framework helps guide its investments and advance international engagements across SSHRC and the three federal research funding agencies. This past year, SSHRC continued to participate in the Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP), an international collaboration of research funders in the social sciences and humanities offering joint research calls addressing major societal issues. SSHRC worked with 11 global partners to launch the latest call on Democracy, Governance and Trust. SSHRC also worked to launch the 8th call of the Open Research Area (ORA) initiative in partnership with France, Germany and the United Kingdom, a competition to promote international investigator-led collaboration. Results for both the T-AP and ORA opportunities will be announced in 2024-25.
Collaborating with international partners to address global challenges related to climate change has been central to many of SSHRC’s activities this past year, one being its participation in the Global Centers initiative, led by the United States’ National Science Foundation (NSF). The call for proposals on climate change and clean energy—a joint initiative with NSERC, NSF and research organizations in Australia and the United Kingdom—saw SSHRC invest $3.75 million over five years in a new global centre, co-led by McMaster University and the University of Michigan. The centre, a research hub focused on addressing complex water crises across international boundaries and jurisdictions, includes collaboration with Indigenous communities.
Alongside SSHRC’s funded research, SSHRC administers several tri-agency programs that also contribute to strengthening Canada’s ability to remain internationally competitive in research areas that create long-term social and economic advantages for Canada. The tri-agency New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), managed by SSHRC, supports interdisciplinary and emerging research that is high-reward, high-risk and transformative. It directly promotes both international collaborations and Canada’s international competitiveness. The results of the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation were finalized this past year. In addition to the more than $30 million in funding from eight international partners, NFRF will contribute $60 million to support 32 international interdisciplinary research projects, involving 424 researchers from 45 countries. The project teams will co-develop adaptation and mitigation strategies for groups that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
New Frontiers in Research Fund: Supporting interdisciplinary, international research
- In 2023-24, NFRF launched a new international joint initiative on sustainable development of the Arctic. The 2024 NordForsk-led initiative is a collaboration among research funders from Canada, the United States and other Arctic countries. Through interdisciplinary research projects that include Indigenous perspectives, this call will leverage expertise across Arctic countries to explore approaches to sustainable development, considering aspects such as security, natural resources and societal changes.
- The 2022 Horizon Global Platform competition was delivered this past year with 18 grants awarded. The grants provide financial support to Canadian researchers participating in Horizon Europe-funded projects.
The Canada Biomedical Research Fund, another tri-agency program managed by SSHRC, is an essential component of Canada’s strategy to support the growth of a strong, competitive biomanufacturing and life sciences sector and to ensure Canada is prepared for future pandemics. Stage 1 of the competition was completed in 2022-23 with the creation of five research hubs across the country. Each hub, led by a postsecondary institution, is a coalition of research partners from across sectors. Stage 2 of the competition, delivered in 2023-24, funds research, talent development and infrastructure projects aligned with the hubs’ research programs. SSHRC and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) awarded nearly $574 million in funding for 19 projects at 14 research institutions across Canada. The hubs and their associated projects will accelerate the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, while supporting training and development to expand the pipeline of skilled talent.
A world-class peer review process is essential to ensuring agency-funded research is internationally competitive. Through the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee, a pilot initiative launched in 2021-22, SSHRC, in collaboration with CIHR and NSERC, developed an innovative approach to support research that crosses the disciplinary boundaries of the agencies. The initiative enables researchers working in interdisciplinary research to direct their application to a committee with expertise from across the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, engineering and health sciences. In 2023-24, the committee was extended for a third pilot year. At the end of the year, the granting agencies decided to make the committee a regular part of their adjudication process.
Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities
Canada’s ability to produce excellence and impactful research depends on its ability to develop, attract and retain highly skilled researchers. SSHRC directly and indirectly supports research training at all stages of a researcher’s career. In 2023-24, SSHRC directly supported 4,880 research trainees through scholarships and fellowships, while SSHRC award-holders reported supporting another 7,774 trainees through their grants. In addition, 62% of directly funded research trainees who reported being employed at the end of their award indicated that they were working in research positions, contributing to the growth of talent in the research ecosystem. This past year, SSHRC continued to collaborate with CIHR and NSERC on the development of the Tri-Agency Research Training Strategy, which aims to create an innovative, equitable, accessible and effective suite of scholarship and fellowship funding opportunities for a diverse base of trainees. Additionally, the Tri-Agency Talent Evaluation was completed, along with a Management Response and Action Plan, that will inform SSHRC’s future activities to foster research training and talent development.
SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC are committed to supporting research and research training by and with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including by recognizing and respecting Indigenous Knowledge systems. Guided by the Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research, the agencies are implementing their strategic plan, Setting New Directions to Support Indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada, now extended to 2026. This past year, the three agencies released a report centred on a series of engagements they held on Indigenous citizenship and membership affirmation. The engagements focused on identifying a path for moving beyond self-identification within the context of agency programs, funding opportunities or appointments intended for Indigenous persons. The report shares the key principles and common themes that emerged from the engagement process and will inform the development of a tri-agency policy on Indigenous citizenship and membership affirmation to help ensure that opportunities intended for Indigenous persons are held by Indigenous persons.
In 2023-24, SSHRC and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation finalized the results of the Reconciliation Network in Response to Call to Action 65 funding opportunity. With an investment of approximately $6 million over five years, the initiative supports six grants to advance collective understanding of reconciliation. The focus of the projects ranges from amplifying Indigenous stories to locating and commemorating residential school burial landscapes. This work will play a crucial role in advancing Indigenous research, research training and knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities across Canada.
In 2023-24, SSHRC’s Indigenous Advisory Circle marked its 10th anniversary. The Circle continues to play a crucial role in SSHRC’s efforts to advance reconciliation in and through research, providing guidance on Indigenous research and Indigenous Talent programming and co-developing SSHRC’s Indigenous research policies and best practices. This year, SSHRC worked to expand opportunities for Indigenous communities, organizations and scholars to participate in SSHRC programs. Through the Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative, SSHRC continued to provide funding to meritorious Indigenous students who applied to the Canada Graduate Scholars—Master’s program. The initiative, launched in 2022-23, provides dedicated funding to support promising Indigenous graduate students and to foster the mentorship of young researchers. In 2023-24, SSHRC offered awards to 81 Indigenous scholars, for a total investment of $925,000. Additionally, to increase access for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples to agencies’ program funding, the three federal research funding agencies updated the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration to clearly communicate how compensation may be paid to Indigenous Elders, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers or Indigenous persons affiliated with not-for-profit organizations who are not already being compensated to conduct research.
Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive research enterprise is essential to generate excellent, innovative and impactful research. In 2023-24, 57.9% of newly funded recipients self-identified as women, 22.2% as racialized people (“visible minorities”), 2.8% as Indigenous persons and 10.5% as persons with disabilities. SSHRC is committed to further broadening and deepening Canada’s talent pool by ensuring that all researchers and research trainees have equitable access to research funding and by promoting a more inclusive research community.
In 2023-24, SSHRC continued to collaborate with NSERC and CIHR on implementing the Tri-agency Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. This plan details measures to increase fair access to research support for all researchers and research trainees and to support equitable participation in the research system. Two initiatives to directly increase the diversity of scholarship holders are the funding for Indigenous students described above and the implementation of additional scholarships and fellowships for Black research trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels. In 2023-24, SSHRC provided 82 awards for Black students and postdoctoral researchers.
Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used
As part of the research process, SSHRC-funded scholars collaborate with communities, businesses and governments and share research knowledge that can then be used to innovate and improve people’s lives. In 2023-24, 73% of funded projects reported non-academic collaborations and 683 non-academic partners participated in agency-funded projects with a financial contribution of $38,384,217 million. Further, 79% of funded research projects reported socio-economic outcomes for Canadians.
Through its regular programming and numerous joint initiatives, SSHRC helps build stronger relationships across sectors, supporting the flow, exchange and use of research knowledge. For example, investment in cross-sectoral research is key to the Government of Canada meeting its ambitious climate mitigation targets to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In support of Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, SSHRC, in collaboration with NSERC and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), delivered the first competition of the Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative. The funding will help reinforce, coordinate and scale up Canada’s domestic agricultural research capabilities through partnerships among universities, colleges and organizations from non-academic sectors. The awards will be announced in 2024-25. Additionally, in 2023-24, SSHRC and AAFC launched the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Network on Sustainable Agriculture in a Net-Zero Economy, awarding $1.9 million to support research aimed at developing a new national research network and advancing sustainable agricultural sectors and food systems in Canada.
To ensure that the benefits of research and talent development are fully realized, SSHRC aims to make researchers and research results accessible to Canadians. This year, SSHRC renewed a multiyear agreement with Québec Science magazine to incorporate social sciences and humanities themes and perspectives into its coverage. SSHRC continued to partner with The/La Conversation Canada to deliver virtual public talks featuring winners of SSHRC Impact Awards. SSHRC-funded research also continued to be showcased through monthly research stories posted on its website, the annual awards ceremony for SSHRC Impact awardees and the Storytellers Challenge. This initiative, which celebrated its 10th anniversary, asks postsecondary students to describe, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how social sciences and humanities research is improving our lives, our world and our future. The first evaluation of the Storytellers Challenge was published this year, along with the Management Response and Action Plan. The evaluation confirmed that Storytellers is meeting an important need within the research community and that it both promotes the development of important researcher skills and improves the sharing of SSHRC-funded research results.
SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative accelerates the exchange and use of research knowledge to better inform policy and respond to emerging economic and social challenges for Canada. Knowledge Synthesis Grants (KSGs) support researchers in producing knowledge synthesis reports that analyze existing knowledge on a specific question or issue and seek to identify knowledge gaps. After researchers funded through KSGs complete their projects, they are invited to share their findings in national knowledge mobilization forums and in evidence briefs, made available on SSHRC’s website. The forums bring together researchers, diverse stakeholders and cross-sectoral policy-makers to present and discuss the findings; the evidence briefs ensure the knowledge is more sustainably shared with the wider public. This past year, SSHRC partnered with Genome Canada, Canadian Heritage and the UK Research and Innovation’s Arts and Humanities Research Council to fund a KSG competition on Evolving Narratives of Cultures and Histories that awarded 31 grants. Also in 2023-24, SSHRC organized a virtual knowledge mobilization forum on Shifting Dynamics of Privilege and Marginalization in partnership with Genome Canada, and published evidence briefs on the Emerging Asocial Society and on Gender-Based Violence.
In 2021-22, SSHRC launched a two-year pilot initiative called the Ideas Lab to encourage innovative research partnerships and projects. The initiative empowers participants to explore new methods and approaches to research on pressing societal challenges. In 2023-24, SSHRC completed its second pilot Ideas Lab initiative on Global Health and Wellness in the 21st Century, in partnership with Genome Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. This second initiative expanded eligibility to postdoctoral researchers as principal investigators to support early career researchers. Four research grants were funded from this competition.
Responsible stewardship of research data strengthens the research enterprise. In 2023-24, SSHRC took numerous actions to promote sound research data management practices and open science more generally. In collaboration with community experts, SSHRC analyzed institutions’ research data management (RDM) strategies, which were published as per the agencies’ requirement. The report stemming from this analysis, to be prepared in 2024-25, will serve as a resource for institutions, RDM service providers and the broader research community. Through the Partnership Grant funding opportunity, SSHRC piloted a requirement for applicants to submit RDM plans and committed to continuing the pilot for another round of the competition. To support the research community in its efforts to comply with the RDM policy, as well as to foster capacity development in Canada, SSHRC also extended the Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative (through Connection Grants) indefinitely. Finally, the three agencies announced a review of their Open Access Policy with the goal of requiring that any peer-reviewed journal publications arising from agency-supported research be freely available, without subscription or fee, at the time of publication. The renewed Open Access Policy will be released by the end of 2025.
Following the principle that Canada’s world-leading research ecosystem should be as open as possible and as safeguarded as necessary, in 2023-24, SSHRC continued to work with federal partners, and in consultation with members of the research community, to develop and implement research security measures. The National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships were successfully implemented in the second stage of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund competition. The funding agencies and the CFI also implemented the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern— announced in early 2024—in relevant funding opportunities launched as of May 1, 2024. To help the community implement these measures, the agencies launched a tri-agency guidance web page on research security and organized information sessions. SSHRC also established a Research Security Unit to lead these efforts and answer questions from researchers.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 2: Snapshot of resources required for Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research Training.
Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
Spending |
$684,488,400 |
$688,843,894 |
Full-time equivalents |
264 |
258 |
Complete financial and human resources information for SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government-wide priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
As part of SSHRC’s commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), the agency continued to apply gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) and EDI approaches in decision-making and review processes to support inclusive outcomes for Canadians. As SSHRC has done since 2018, the agency collected self-identification data from participants in most of its funding opportunities. SSHRC relies on this data, along with data from Statistics Canada and other sources, to monitor application and award rates of specific population groups and to track the EDI performance of its programs. SSHRC consistently reports on the data it collects through various reporting mechanisms, including SSHRC’s public EDI dashboard and the Canada Research Coordinating Committee’s annual progress report. In 2023-24, SSHRC developed a Policy on Transparency and Decision-making in Managing EDI Self-Identification Data to ensure an integrated approach to the governance, planning and management of EDI self-identification data across the agency. Supporting directives on the collection and use of self-identification data and on privacy protection are being developed.
SSHRC’s Evaluation Division carried out program evaluations using a GBA Plus protocol that includes EDI-focused sub-questions and standardized data collection tools to identify any potential differential outcomes of SSHRC’s programs with respect to research, research training and research careers. In 2023-24, this GBA Plus protocol was used in the evaluation of the Connection Grants funding opportunity and in the design of the New Frontiers in Research Fund evaluation.
Engagement to understand barriers to funding
Throughout 2023-24, SSHRC significantly engaged with several advisory committees, including the external Advisory Committee for Accessibility and Systemic Ableism and the Indigenous Advisory Circle, to identify barriers to fair access in the research funding system. Following SSHRC’s engagement with the Advisory Committee to Address Anti-Black Racism in 2021-22, SSHRC held 33 interactive engagement sessions with over 230 participants—principally Black faculty from universities and Black graduate students—that informed the development of an action plan to support Black researchers. The plan will be launched in early 2024-25.
Also this year, the Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Systemic Ableism, composed of people with lived experience of disabilities, submitted its report to SSHRC. The report addresses the physical and systemic barriers that researchers with one or more disabilities face when seeking federal research and research training funding. The recommendations made in the report, as well as ongoing consultations with the research community, will inform the implementation of SSHRC’s Accessibility Plan (launched in 2022-23) and its work going forward. SSHRC also made advancements in improving accessibility in the research enterprise by publishing its first Annual Progress Report.
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
SSHRC helps advance the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by delivering essential funding for research, training and knowledge mobilization through its core programs, as well as by developing and delivering innovative programs that often address complex global challenges. For instance, SSHRC contributes to SDG 4―Quality Education by offering valuable research training opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows through grants, scholarships and fellowships. SSHRC’s work to advance EDI, including its support for Indigenous research and reconciliation, contributes to SDG 10―Reduced Inequalities by working to increase equitable and inclusive participation in the research ecosystem. SSHRC is also committed to greening its own operations and funding science that will help identify solutions to the climate crisis, supporting Goals 12―Responsible Consumption and Production and 13―Climate Action.
More information on SSHRC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in SSHRC’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
Program inventory
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training is supported by the following programs:
- Insight Research
- Research Training and Talent Development
- Research Partnerships
- New Frontiers in Research Fund
- Canada Biomedical Research Fund
Additional information related to the program inventory for Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
In this section
Description
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, on behalf of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, provides financial support to universities, colleges and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes to reimburse a portion of indirect costs associated with the funded research.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 3: Targets and results for Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
Table 3 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research.
Canada’s university and college research environments are strong
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
Total percentage of funds invested in research facilities |
25-35% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 30% 2022-23: 29% 2023-24: 29% |
Total percentage of funds invested in management and administration |
30-40% |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 34% 2022-23: 35% 2023-24: 36% |
Average number of Canadian institutions among the top 250 of international university rankings |
At least 10 |
March 2024 |
2021-22: 11 2022-23: 11 2023-24: 11 |
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
The following section describes the results for Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research in 2023-24 compared with the planned results set out in SSHRC’s departmental plan for the year.
Canada’s university and college research environments are strong
The Research Support Fund (RSF) program, a tri-agency initiative administered by SSHRC, helps Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes with the indirect costs associated with managing the research funded by the three federal research funding agencies. The program provides institutions with an annual grant to help offset the costs of maintaining a world-class research environment, with modern facilities, equipment and essential resources.
The Incremental Project Grants (IPG) funding opportunity is a stream of the RSF that provides eligible institutions with additional support for projects that focus on priority areas. Dedicated funding for Research Security was launched in 2022-23 as a fifth IPG priority area. The investment provides an additional $25 million per year to help eligible institutions build their capacity to identify, assess and mitigate potential research security risks.
In 2023-24, the RSF achieved the following results:
- The program invested $452.3 million:
- RSF base program grants to postsecondary institutions equaled $369.4 million. This funding supported 148 institutions.
- Grants to postsecondary institutions from the IPG stream equaled $58.2 million. This funding provided additional support to 32 institutions for 172 projects.
- 51 institutions received funding to support capacity building related to research security, totalling $24.7 million for 141 projects.
- Applications to the 2023-24 RSF grant cycle showed the intended use of funds across eligible expenditure categories as follows: management and administration of the institution’s research enterprise, 35.8%; research facilities, 28.8%; research resources, 20.9%; regulatory requirements and accreditation, 9.7%; and intellectual property and knowledge mobilization, 4.8%.
- Applications to the 2023-24 IPG stream reflected the following distribution across eligible priority areas: facilities renewal, 41.2%; information resources, 28.2%; innovation and commercialization activities, 20.4%; and equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of EDI), 10.3%.
- SSHRC continued to implement the management response to the 15th-year evaluation of the RSF. SSHRC developed a renewed reporting framework to help implement institutional reporting that is more in line with the contributory nature of the program, the risks associated with the program and the performance information needs of program management. This new proposed framework requires institutions to report on expense categories and publicly share performance stories. In 2023-24, the framework was approved by the program’s governance body and shared for feedback with eligible institutions through multiple engagement sessions. The program’s plan to improve the communication of its goals and highlight its results continued to be implemented.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 4: Snapshot of resources required for Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
Table 4 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
Spending |
$453,218,878 |
$452,184,756 |
Full-time equivalents |
9 |
6 |
Complete financial and human resources information for SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Program inventory
Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research is supported by the following program:
- Research Support Fund
Additional information related to the program inventory for Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Internal services
In this section
- Description
- Progress on results
- Resources required to achieve results
- Contracts awarded to Indigenous business
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- management and oversight services
- communications services
- legal services
- human resources management services
- financial management services
- information management services
- information technology services
- real property management services
- materiel management services
- acquisition management services
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.
To execute its mandate effectively and efficiently, SSHRC must remain a nimble, agile and adaptive organization, one that ensures the well-being and productivity of its employees in a changing work environment. In 2023-24, SSHRC continued to focus on modernizing its service delivery model, while maintaining its commitment to meeting evolving legislative and policy requirements from central agencies. It also advanced its EDI and accessibility efforts. Special focus was placed on the workforce, work tools and workplace dimensions.
This year, SSHRC continued to implement actions to support the four key priorities of its People Strategy:
- Build our workforce for future success;
- Promote a safe, respectful and healthy work environment for all;
- Foster accessibility, diversity, bilingualism and inclusiveness at work;
- Modernize our policies and operations to support an agile, resilient and responsive workforce.
To this end, SSHRC’s recruitment process was modernized and improved to remove barriers and to attract and retain top and diverse talent. Staff were engaged to prioritize actions required to remove identified barriers to diversity and inclusion. As well, initiatives were launched to enhance leadership accountability and support employee career development, including the Mentorship+ and language training programs. Moreover, following the publication of its first Accessibility Plan in 2022-23, SSHRC renewed its Accommodation Policy and processes in 2023-24. Through these actions, the agency continued to show its commitment to fostering a talented and agile workforce grounded in a safe, healthy and inclusive work culture where everyone has an equal and full opportunity to participate and succeed.
Following its 2022-23 move to newly constructed, modern headquarters, SSHRC strengthened processes and operations to support its workforce and stakeholder community with upgrades to advance productivity, enhance accessibility and incorporate new technologies. Automation and reporting procedures were implemented to improve the efficiency of the support desk services and reduce system outages. Services supporting a successful return to office were stabilized, including audio-visual equipment, Wi-Fi and Internet, as well as event management processes to improve office productivity. Moreover, the agency focused on improving tools and increasing employee awareness around cyber security.
In collaboration with NSERC and CIHR, SSHRC continued to support the Tri-agency Grants Management Solution (TGMS) initiative to prepare for the implementation phase of the project. TGMS aims to replace the agencies’ existing grants management systems with a modern cloud-based solution that advances digital and client-centric service design and delivery: applicants will be able to use one platform to apply to any of the three agencies, helping to reduce administrative barriers and better support the research community.
Strong financial stewardship is fundamental to SSHRC’s operations. To support this, in 2023-24 the agency finalized the migration of its financial system to the Government of Canada Enterprise Standard (SAP). A nine-month stabilization period was completed to ensure operability and effectiveness of the new system, while new enhancements were developed as part of ongoing improvements. In response to the budget compression and expenditure reductions announced in Budget 2023, SSHRC developed options and a plan to meet the reduction targets, especially in relation to professional services and travel expenditures, ensuring minimal impact on its mandate, priorities and commitments. Also in 2023-24, SSHRC completed the pilot phase of its new financial monitoring framework, which was officially launched across all universities in March 2024 to help institutions administer funding on behalf of recipients.
Finally, in 2023-24, SSHRC launched a project to renew its corporate website: significant progress was made to render the website easier to navigate, more accessible and compliant with Government of Canada digital brand standards.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 5: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year
Table 5 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
Spending |
$17,623,010 |
$19,306,751 |
Full-time equivalents |
128 |
123 |
The complete financial and human resources information for SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024-25.
SSHRC’s results for 2023-24
Table 6: Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businessesFootnote 1
As shown in the Table 6, SSHRC awarded 9.48% of the total value of all contracts to Indigenous businesses for the fiscal year.
| Contracting performance indicators | 2023-24 Results |
|---|---|
Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businessesFootnote 2 (A) |
$790,283 |
Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous and non‑Indigenous businesses (B) |
$8,333,989 |
Value of exceptions approved by deputy head (C) |
$0 |
Proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses [A / (B−C) × 100] |
9.48% |
SSHRC has taken concrete steps to support the Government of Canada’s important commitment of increasing participation of Indigenous businesses in federal procurement, including:
- provided its procurement specialists with the appropriate training and tools to support and promote the importance of the initiative to clients (i.e., employees in need of procurement services);
- ensured early engagement with clients and included an Appendix to the Statement of Work to encourage clients to consider the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Businesses (PSIB) at the outset of each procurement request;
- developed evaluation criteria to help clients include Indigenous considerations in their competitive procurements;
- to maximize Indigenous participation, developed and presented a guide for stakeholders that explains the value for the organization and Indigenous communities and identifies tangible ways of increasing Indigenous participation within each procurement process; and
- promoted the use of the Indigenous Business Directory when considering Indigenous capacity.
In its 2024-25 Departmental Plan, the department forecasted that, by the end of 2023-24, it would award 5% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses.
Additional relevant information:
- Since migrating its financial system to SAP in April 2023, SSHRC’s reporting tools now ensure more accurate reporting of PSIB contracts.
Spending and human resources
In this section
Spending
This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned expenditures from 2021-22 to 2026-27.
Budgetary performance summary
Table 7: Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 7 presents how much money SSHRC spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2023-24 Main Estimates | 2023-24 total authorities available for use | Actual spending over three years (authorities used) |
|---|---|---|---|
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training |
$684,488,400 |
$693,891,725 |
|
Institutional Support for Indirect Costs of Research |
$453,218,878 |
$452,401,927 |
|
| Subtotal | $1,137,707,278 | $1,146,293,652 |
|
Internal services |
$17,623,010 |
$18,196,146 |
|
| Total | $1,155,330,288 | $1,164,489,798 |
|
Analysis of the past three years of spending
Spending increased in 2023-24 mainly due to:
- funding received from Budget 2021 for the Race, Gender and Diversity Initiative and the Canada Biomedical Research Fund;
- funding from Budget 2022 for research security and the awards for Black students and postdoctoral researchers;
- funding received following the 2022-23 Canada First Research Excellence Fund and Canada Excellence Research Chairs competitions.
More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 8: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 8 presents how much money SSHRC plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024-25 planned spending | 2025-26 planned spending | 2026-27 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training |
$726,456,649 |
$721,092,495 |
$708,022,651 |
Institutional Support for Indirect Costs of Research |
$453,127,095 |
$453,117,744 |
$453,123,680 |
| Subtotal | $1,179,583,744 | $1,174,210,239 | $1,161,146,331 |
Internal services |
$18,348,151 |
$17,626,336 |
$17,586,173 |
| Total | $1,197,931,895 | $1,191,836,575 | $1,178,732,504 |
Analysis of the next three years of spending
Planned spending is increasing in 2024-25 due to recent funding received for the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and Canada Excellence Research Chairs competitions, as well as for the ramp up of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund over the next two years. The planned spending is decreasing due to the end of the Canada 150 Research Chairs Program in 2025-26 and of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund in 2026-27.
More detailed financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Funding
This section provides an overview of the department’s voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.
Graph 1: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period
Graph 1 summarizes the department’s approved voted and statutory funding from 2021-22 to 2026-27 excluding the Research Support Fund.
Description of Departmental spending trend graph—SSHRC (excluding the Research Support Fund)
This bar graph shows the spending trend for SSHRC, in millions of dollars, for fiscal years 2021-22 to 2026-27. It does not include spending on the Research Support Fund.
The y-axis shows dollar values, in increments of 100 million. The scale begins at 0 dollars and goes to 800 million dollars.
The six bars each represent a fiscal year: 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Each bar shows the spending broken down by statutory and voted program funding.
SSHRC’s spending (minus the Research Support Fund) over the period, by fiscal year, is listed in the table below the graph as follows:
- 2021-22: 587 million dollars, broken down into 5 million in statutory funding and 582 million in voted funding
- 2022-23: 610 million dollars, broken down into 5 million in statutory funding and 605 million in voted funding
- 2023-24: 708 million dollars, broken down into 5 million in statutory funding and 703 million in voted funding
- 2024-25: 745 million dollars, broken down into 5 million in statutory funding and 740 million in voted funding
- 2025-26: 739 million dollars, broken down into 5 million in statutory funding and 734 million in voted funding
- 2026-27: 726 million dollars, broken down into 5 million in statutory funding and 721 million in voted funding
Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period
Spending increased in 2023-24 and planned spending is increasing in future years mainly due to:
- funding received from Budget 2021 for the Race, Gender and Diversity Initiative and the Canada Biomedical Research Fund;
- funding from Budget 2022 for Research Security and the awards for Black students and postdoctoral researchers;
- funding received following the 2022-23 Canada First Research Excellence Fund and Canada Excellence Research Chairs competitions.
Graph 2: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period
Graph 2 summarizes the department’s approved voted and statutory funding from 2021-22 to 2026-27 for the Research Support Fund.
Description of Departmental spending trend graph—Research Support Fund only
This bar graph shows the spending trend for SSHRC, in millions of dollars, for fiscal years 2021-22 to 2026-27, solely for the Research Support Fund.
The y-axis shows dollar values, in increments of 50 million. The scale begins at 0 dollars and goes to 500 million dollars.
The six bars each represent a fiscal year: 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27.
All funding is voted funding; statutory funding does not apply to the Research Support Fund.
SSHRC’s spending for the Research Support Fund, by fiscal year, is listed in the table below the graph as follows:
- 2021-22: 429 million dollars in voted funding
- 2022-23: 452 million dollars in voted funding
- 2023-24: 452 million dollars in voted funding
- 2024-25: 453 million dollars in voted funding
- 2025-26: 453 million dollars in voted funding
- 2026-27: 453 million dollars in voted funding
Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period
The Research Support Fund is a tri-agency program administered by SSHRC on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies. Given its unique nature and distinct budget, the results of the program are reported under a separate core responsibility in SSHRC’s Departmental Results Framework and its financial information is presented in a separate spending graph.
SSHRC received additional funding from Budget 2022 for the Research Support Fund in support of research security.
For further information on SSHRC’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.
Financial statement highlights
SSHRC’s complete financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.
Table 9: Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)
Table 9 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023-24 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
| Financial information | 2023-24 actual results |
2023-24 planned results | Difference (actual results minus planned) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses |
$1,162,986,869 |
$1,160,727,185 |
$2,259,684 |
Total revenues |
$133,041 |
$107,962 |
$25,079 |
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
$1,162,853,828 |
$1,160,619,223 |
$2,234,605 |
The 2023-24 planned results information is provided in SSHRC’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023-24.
Table 10 summarizes actual expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
| Financial information | 2023-24 actual results | 2022-23 actual results | Difference (2023-24 minus 2022-23) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses |
$1,162,986,869 |
$1,064,578,461 |
$98,408,408 |
Total revenues |
$133,041 |
$130,069 |
$2,972 |
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
$1,162,853,828 |
$1,064,448,392 |
$98,405,436 |
The increase in total expenses from the previous year is mainly attributed to increased funding for the Canada First Research Excellence Fund from Budget 2014, the New Frontiers in Research Fund from Budget 2018, and the Canada Biomedical Research Fund from Budget 2021.
Table 11: Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)
Table 11 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.
| Financial information | Actual fiscal year (2023-24) | Previous fiscal year (2022-23) | Difference (2023-24 minus 2022-23) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total net liabilities |
$11,034,930 |
$9,923,095 |
$1,111,835 |
Total net financial assets |
$8,971,985 |
$7,571,686 |
$1,400,299 |
Departmental net debt |
$2,062,945 |
$2,351,409 |
-$288,464 |
Total non-financial assets |
$2,613,744 |
$2,921,020 |
-$307,276 |
Departmental net financial position |
$550,799 |
$569,611 |
-$18,812 |
The increase in net liabilities and net financial assets is mainly due to the concerted effort deployed during the 2022-23 year end to settle existing payables in the context of the transitional processes of the financial system migration to the new SAP system.
The decrease in non-financial assets is mainly due to the decrease in SSHRC’s tangible capital assets, where amortization related to leasehold improvements and computer hardware was recorded. The related assets for the Workplace Renewal project and investment in the organization’s computer network were capitalized and partially amortized during the 2022-23 year.
Human resources
This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021-22 to 2026-27.
Table 12: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 12 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for SSHRC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2021-22 actual FTEs | 2022-23 actual FTEs | 2023-24 actual FTEs |
|---|---|---|---|
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training |
218 |
228 |
258 |
Institutional Support for Indirect Costs of Research |
7 |
7 |
6 |
| Subtotal | 225 | 235 | 264 |
Internal services |
103 |
108 |
123 |
| Total | 328 | 343 | 387 |
Analysis of human resources over the last three years
Actual FTEs increased over the last three years due to additional funding received for the following programs and initiatives:
- the Canada Biomedical Research Fund
- the Race, Gender and Diversity Initiative
- the awards for Black students and postdoctoral researchers
- to support research security capacity building and activities through the Research Support Fund
- the Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative
- the 2022 competitions of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs and Canada First Research Excellence Fund
- the transfer of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program’s funds to the New Frontiers in Research Fund.
Table 13: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 13 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of SSHRC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024-25 planned FTEs | 2025-26 planned FTEs | 2026-27 planned FTEs |
|---|---|---|---|
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training |
249 |
249 |
245 |
Institutional Support for Indirect Costs of Research |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Subtotal | 255 | 255 | 251 |
Internal services |
123 |
123 |
123 |
| Total | 378 | 378 | 374 |
Analysis of human resources for the next three years
Planned FTEs will decrease mainly because two temporary programs will conclude during this period: the Canada Biomedical Research Fund and the Canada 150 Research Chairs.
Corporate information
Departmental profile
Appropriate minister(s): The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Institutional head: Ted Hewitt, President
Ministerial portfolio: Innovation, Science and Industry
Enabling instrument: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. S-12
Year of incorporation / commencement: 1977
Other: Departmental contact information
Mailing address:
125 Zaida Eddy Private, 2nd floor
Ottawa ON, K1R 0E3
Canada
Telephone: 1-855-275-2861
Email: corporate-performanc@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Website: www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on SSHRC’s website:
Federal tax expenditures
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.
Definitions
appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility(responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental priority (priorité)
A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.
departmental result (résultat ministériel)
A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
Full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical tool used to assess how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion and sexual orientation.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2023-24 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighting harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of a department program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.
result (résultat)
A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’s influence.
Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)
For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
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